NI DAQ Device or Module Does Not Appear in LabVIEW And/Or MAX

Issue Details

• I can't see my NI DAQ chassis or module in NI Measurement and Automation Explorer (NI MAX). It is not detected, not recognized, or is missing.
• I'm trying to use my NI DAQ device in NI Software such as LabVIEW, VeriStand, or FlexLogger, but it doesn't appear under available devices. However, I can see the device in NI MAX. 

Solution

For All Devices and Modules

1. Confirm your device is powered on and connected to your computer.
2. Swap power supplies, try different slots, power cycle the device, and reset the system.
3. Verify or update your driver. Note that some devices and modules are no longer supported in NI-DAQmx 17.6 and later. Confirm that you have DAQmx installed and determine the version of NI-DAQmx already installed on your system. Check to see if the correct drivers are installed for your DAQ hardware by checking the readme for that version of NI-DAQmx. You can find most NI-DAQmx readme’s on the NI-DAQmx Release Notes Page. For versions of NI-DAQmx that don't have readme's available, this can alternatively be checked from the NI Hardware and Software Operating System Compatibility page.
4. Ensure that you have the correct DAQmx driver software. The DAQmx driver incompasses 3 parts, ADE Support, Device Driver, and MAX Configuration.  ADE Support allows DAQmx to interface with LabVIEW. Device Driver has the drivers for the different DAQ devices. MAX Configuration allows you to configure the devices within NI MAX. 
   
   You can check this in NI MAX by expanding My System » Software. You should see the following three under the Software drop-down in NI-MAX:
   
   
   
   Note: Your driver may not be version 18.1.
   If you do not have all three of these, please reinstall DAQmx.
5. If you recently installed new NI software, drivers, or hardware, restart your operating system (OS).
   • If you recently installed a newer version of LabVIEW, try repairing the DAQmx driver. You will then need restart your system.
6. With NI MAX open, start by refreshing the list of connected devices by clicking View»Refresh.
7. Check to see whether your DAQ device appears in Windows Device Manager. If it does not, make sure that the device is plugged in correctly, and check for any loose connections. Also make sure that the PCI bus on your computer has the same Voltage rating as the DAQ card you are using. You can find the voltage ratings in the specification sheets for your computer and the DAQ card. If you are using an NI USB DAQ device, also review the section below.
8. If your device or module does appear in Windows Device Manager, check under what category it appears.
   • If your device appears under Data Acquisition Devices, verify the NI Device Loader service is started.
   • If your device appears under a different category, complete one or both of the following procedures:
     1. Right-click on the device and uninstall it in Device Manager. Then, restart the computer and let the device's software install automatically.
     2. Manually associate the device with the appropriate driver.
9. Check that the NI Device Loader service is running.
10. This problem might also be from the MAX software itself if you are getting a database connection error. In this case, reset your MAX Database.
11. If you are using a MXI or MXIe connection, review the MXI Compatibility and Connectivity Troubleshooting Guide.
12. If the issue persists, try repairing your DAQ Device Driver, performing a force reinstall, and/or installing a compatible, more recent version of the driver.

For USB DAQ Devices

• If the device does not have an external power source, it could be that the USB port is not supplying enough power to the device.
  • Try removing any external USB hubs or port replicators.
  • Try plugging the device into a different USB port. Generally, the ports on the back of the PC provide the most power.
  • Try removing other USB devices besides the mouse and keyboard.
  • Try a different USB cable.
• Special cases with USB devices:
  • USB DAQ device shows as a USB-RAW device in NI-MAX
  • USB DAQ device shows up as a USB Flash Firmware Loader  in Device Manager
  • USB DAQ device not recognised in Device Manager when using USB 3.0 .
  • Disable Windows USB Selective Suspend power settings.
• If you are using Instrument I/O Assistant, you will not see your USB DAQ device in the instrument list since this express VI only provides communication with serial, GPIB, or Ethernet devices. 

Device Does Not Appear in LabVIEW but Appears in NI MAX

Make sure that the task type is supported by the module. For instance, a digital module cannot support an analog task. 

NI MAX may be reserving the cDAQ device or modules. This means that you can't access them in any other software applications.

1. In NI MAX, under Devices and Interfaces, select your device.
2. Unreserve the resource to allow the device to be accessed by other LabVIEW applications.
3. Make sure that LabVIEW, NI Drivers and the Operating system bitnesses are compatible.

For more information on resource reservation, read the Additional Information section in Resolving NI-DAQmx Error -50103 in LabVIEW.
 

When using Virtual Machines

NI does not support the use of NI hardware in Virtual Machines (VMs). You can troubleshoot without NI's assistance by verifying your VM USB settings. Here is a useful external document:

• External Link: USB Device not detected by the virtual machine (57195)

Additional Troubleshooting Suggestions

• Connect your DAQ device to another computer. Make sure this computer has the correct drivers installed.
• If you have another DAQ device that is connecting correctly, try using it on this same computer to see if the issue persists with the computer or with the device.
• Make sure you have the Devices and Interfaces section expanded, along with all of your chassis expanded to have all modules showing.